Review #152: 'Vamp' (1986)

Two college students, Keith (Chris Makepeace) and A.J. (Robert Rusler) are given the daunting task of finding a stripper for a frat party by a demanding fraternity that they are both eager to join. So desperate, that they embark on a road trip with friendless, desperate uber-nerd Duncan (Gedde Watanabe), whose car they are forced to borrow. Upon arriving at a mysterious night club where the customers are strange, and the employees stranger still, they are entranced by the bizzarely enticing dance of Queen Katrina (Grace Jones). When A.J. propositions her for the party, she proceeds to rip his throat out, revealing herself to be a pretty nasty vampire. Before he knows it, Keith must survive the night along with cute waitress/stripper Amaretto (Dedee Pfeiffer) and make it to sunrise.

This very 80's horror (complete with rolled-up sleeves, dodgy pop-rock music, and crap sunglasses) combines the two most popular mainstream genres of the decade - teen comedy and horror. The problem is that it's not entirely successful at either. Yet without exactly pushing the boundaries, it's a nice way to make 90 minutes fly by without having to focus your brain on anything in particular. The horror is just silly and gruesome enough, and the surprising charm of the two leads helps raise a smile or two - though they do seem to be channelling popular 80's icons like Ferris Bueller.

I was actually rather taken by the cinematography, with the rainy, smoky streets illuminated by alluring greens and reds giving the film an almost seedy quality, and it's just over-the-top enough to give it an other-worldly feel. I was captivated, as ever, by the larger-than-life Grace Jones, who while not be the most attractive woman in the world, there is something about her that is just fascinating and I couldn't take my eyes of this strange being. Her introductory striptease (if you can call it that - more like an avant-garde performance piece) is just as weird and unconventional as you would hope. Throw in the adorable Dedee Pfeiffer and you have a breezy film that knows exactly what its potential is, and never strives to be anything more.


Directed by: Richard Wenk
Starring: Chris Makepeace, Sandy Baron, Robert Rusler, Dedee Pfeiffer, Gedde Watanabe, Grace Jones
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie